Kreuzwiesen | HDPF

The replacement building for a typical Schwamendingen semi-detached house impresses with its directness and focus on spatial qualities – both inside and outside. The Y-shaped extension picks up on the line of its predecessor and gives the surrounding green area different spatial qualities, while the apartments benefit from a broad span of orientation out towards the garden city. The materiality speaks a simple language: the relief plaster of the façade, which oscillates between light and dark grey tones, changes its surface quality during the course of the day. The simple hot-dip galvanised metalwork on the balconies that project into the garden and the subtly highlighted blind casing are remotely reminiscent of the Meister house. In the interior, the same reserved quality exists with respect to the materials, which are enhanced through their careful deployment: walls of glazed lime sandstone beneath bright, fair-faced concrete ceilings, and flooring made of perfectly cast anhydrite attract the viewer’s attention to the true qualities – the spaces. Instead of losing existing potential through standardised decisions on monofunctional hall situations, mixed-use spaces are created with the potential for people to spend time there. The residential units are thereby organised as sequences around the central core and orientated towards the garden, offering various views of it.